It is known to use a cutting blade to cut various materials, such as corrugated board, paper and paperboard. There are a number of known devices that support a cutting blade on a handle, with the blade being retractable in some fashion into the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,540 to Lundquist shows a generally U-shaped handle having a cutting blade mounted on the end of one leg and a guide member formed on the opposite leg. The cutting blade is positioned within a slot formed on the top of the guide member, closing the U-shape opening of the handle. A squeezing force directs the cutting blade further into the guide to project from the bottom of the guide, through an outwardly directed slot. Removal of the squeezing force returns the cutting blade back to its normal position on top of the guide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,977 to Wise shows a cutter having a base plate on which is pivoted a handle. A blade mount is provided on the end of the handle, opposite the pivot. The combination of the pivoting base and handle form a U-shaped cutter, with the cutting blade directed into a slot formed in the top of the base plate. A spring is provided on the pivot to create a resilient movement between the handle and base. Squeezing the handle about the pivot moves the cutting blade into and through the slot to project from the bottom surface of the base plate. Removal of the flexing force returns the handle to the normal position, in which the blade is covered within the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,780 to McIlhatten shows a cutter having a base plate on which is supported a handle that supports a cutting blade. The base is made of a resilient material such that the handle can be moved between a normally retracted position, in which the cutting blade is retained within a housing. Forcing the handle against the resilience of the base causes the blade to project through a slot in the base. Removal of the flexing force returns the handle to its normal position, in which the blade is covered by the housing.